Kendall and Kylie Jenner Now Face a Lawsuit Over THAT Tupac Tee

The backlash continues over Kendall and Kylie Jenner's controversial line of vintage T-shirts. The $125 tees, released last month by clothing line Kendall + Kylie, featured images of rap and rock music icons overlaid with the initials "KK" and photos of the Jenners. The shirts immediately sparked outrage on social media over claims of cultural appropriation, and attracted scathing comments from members of the musical community who felt disrespected.

Kendall and Kylie responded by pulling the T-shirts from sale, and issuing a statement apologizing for their gaffe, stating: "We did not mean to disrespect these icons and understand that we missed the mark completely."

But despite the damage control, the sisters are now facing a lawsuit from photographer Michael Mitchell, who took the photo of Tupac used on one of the T-shirts. Mitchell claims the sisters failed to "obtain his authorization" to use his photography on the shirts, Rolling Stone reports, and he feels his work was "misappropriated and wrongfully exploited."

Miller lawyer told Rolling Stone that since the Tupac images were registered at the U.S. Office of Copyright, he could be eligible for statutory damages of $150,000 per photo.

In a statement, the Kendall + Kylie brand hit back at the photographers' charges, stating: “The allegations made are completely false and the lawsuit is baseless. Canada Inc., the licensee manufacturer of the K + K brand, purchased a very small quantity of vintage t-shirts with performer images already on them. Only two Tupac T-shirts were sold before being pulled from distribution. Canada Inc. did not copy anyone’s image, remove any copyright notice from any image, or attempt to exploit Mr. Miller’s claimed right of publicity. There has been no infringement or violation of anyone’s rights.”

Miller had previously taken to social media to express his anger over Kendall + Kylie's use of his photograph. Last week, he Tweeted: "My photo...WHAT THE F*** were they thinking," with emojis representing the scales of justice and a stack of money — an early warning that he intended to sue, perhaps.

Miller also Tweeted that he "couldn't sleep" over the issue, and noted that "Biggie's mom is not happy" with the use of her son's image on the tees, either. If you've been following this story, you'll remember that Notorious B.I.G.'s mom Voletta Wallace spoke out strongly against the tees. She took to Instagram and claimed the Jenners did not contact Biggie's estate for authorization to use his image. In her caption, Wallace called the T-shirts "disrespectful" and "exploitation at its worst."

Sharon Osbourne, whose husband Ozzy Osbourne was featured on a different tee, also Tweeted her unhappiness with the shirts, telling Kendall and Kylie they hadn't "earned the right to put your face with musical icons. Stick to what you know...lip gloss." Ouch.

We can't say for sure how this lawsuit will resolve itself, but one thing seems certain: People feel extremely protective of music and the culture it represents, and don't take perceived violations lightly. We're betting Kendall and Kylie might think twice before aligning themselves with musical icons on a T-shirt again.